All Wars Are Deadly
by Meme-Ann
Summary: COMPLETE!! Working in partnership with cherry-banana-split. The prank war has been raging for months with no end is sight. When Cole's little sister falls for a duck even a prank war can turn deadly.
1. Meeting Cole's sister

Star Lawrence tucked a strand of her shoulder length wheat colored hair behind her ear as  
she crossed the Eden Hall courtyard. Her crystal blue eyes scanned the passing students  
for familiar faces and found not one. The campus was huge and as usual her brother had  
let her down. He'd promised to be waiting for her outside the front door, and just as Star  
had expected, he wasn't there.  
  
"Do you need some help?" A cute blonde guy asked, walking over to her with a friendly  
smile.  
  
"First day here and cute guys are already talking to you." Star thought to herself "Yeah I  
completely lost." She answered  
  
"Guy there you are!" A really pretty dark haired girl was swiftly approaching them.  
"Who's this?"  
  
"I don't know I didn't get her name. Who are you?" The cutie asked her, the same goofy  
grin still on his face.  
  
"Star Lawrence." She answered extending a perfectly manicured hand.  
  
"Connie Moreau and Guy Germaine." Connie answered after was done sizing up Star  
now and had come to the conclusion she wasn't competition. "What class do you have  
now?"  
  
"Ms Rayson's, math."  
  
"Charlie and Banks have that class don't they?" Guy thought out loud.  
  
"I don't know there's Banksie. Ask him." Connie pointed across the grass.  
  
"Hey Banks do you have Rayson first period?" Guy asked the tall preppy looking blonde  
walking in their direction.  
  
If that was what all the guys around there looked like Star was going to like Eden Hall  
  
"Uh, yeah, why?" Adam asked, eyeing Star.  
  
"This is Star Lawrence. She's got first period with you and Charlie." Connie answered,  
cheerfully.  
  
"It's nice to meet you." Star repeated.  
  
Adam, being the shy guy he was, didn't say anything. He returned her words with a nod  
and a smile.  
  
"Connie Moreau, where have you been?!" A girl with shoulder-length blond hair yelled  
to Connie from across the lawn.  
  
"You have my calculator." She said, panting as she ran up to us.  
  
"Do you have math first period too, Cat?" Adam asked her.  
  
"Cat?" Star thought to her self. At that point she was trying to decide if the blond girl  
and Adam were together.  
  
"Hey Ducks." A familiar looking boy with brown hair and brown eyes said as he walked  
up to the group. He put his arms around the 'cat girl'.  
  
"Hey babe." She replied, giving him a quick kiss. That answered my question about her  
and Adam.  
  
"Oh, hey, guys, this is Star Lawrence. Star, this is Julie 'the cat' Gaffney and Scott  
Anderson, better known as Scooter." Guy explained.  
  
Star paused for a moment. The name Scott Anderson sounded very familiar to her.  
  
"Star Lawrence?" Scooter asked, giving her a better look.  
  
"Scooter?" Star asked. "Yeah, it's me!"  
  
"I don't believe it." He said, starring at Star. "I haven't seen you in years."  
  
Star grinned. "Back at you. You look good, Scoot."  
  
"I look good? You've grown up so much!" Scooter exclaimed.  
  
"Did we miss something?" Connie asked.  
  
Scooter laughed. "Star is Cole's little sister."  
  
The ducks exchanged looks. Adam was the most disappointed. He was actually really thinking that he might have a chance with Star. She was so beautiful. He loved the way her eyes sparkled when she laughed, and the way her hair kind of, shone in the sunlight. She was tiny enough that he would be able to wrap her arms all the way around her, but she wasn't too small that they would look strange standing next to each other. Everything seemed perfect, Adam was in love at first sight, however, Star was Cole's sister, and that made her dangerous.  
  
"Umm I hate to be rude but this is my first day and I'd really hate to be late on my first day. Could one of you direct me to class Mrs. Rayson's room please?" Star said  
uncomfortably, she had sensed the tension that seized the group at the mention of her brother and wanted to get away as swiftly as possible.  
  
"Adam you're going that way why don't you show her." Julie pushed him in the side  
lightly. She and Adam were pretty close and she could tell from the way he was looking from Star to the ground back to Star that he liked her.  
  
"Oh yeah right, did you wanna walk with me or did you just want directions?" He was stammering like an idiot and it couldn't have been more charming.  
  
"I'm no good at following directions I'd rather follow you if you don't mind." Star smiled slightly trying not to flush at how cute Banks was.  
  
Adam adjusted his leather backpack on his shoulder and cocked his head in the direction they'd be walking. He could've sworn as he was leaving he heard "Banksie's got a crush." Come from someone.  
  
"So, Cole's your brother, huh?" Adam causally asked, as the two of them stated on the way to class.  
  
"Yeah, and you guys are the ducks?" She asked.  
Adam nodded.  
  
"I've heard of you. Aren't you guys like, famous or something?"  
  
"Well, we did get a lot of media attention during the junior goodwill games, but..."  
  
Star quickly cut him off. "Yeah, so you guys are really good, huh?"  
  
"I guess." Adam shrugged.  
  
Star just grinned. She had a feeling that they were better than Adam was letting on. She had heard about the whole J.V. vs. varsity game. Cole hadn't been too happy out that. And Star knew that if Adam played as good as he looked, then he must have been the best player on the whole team...in the whole world!  
  
"So what class do you have after this?" Adam asked, as he lead Star into the classroom.  
  
Star handed Adam her schedule. After scanning it quickly he chuckled to himself.  
  
"What?" Star asked, smiling curiously.  
  
"Your in every single one of my classes." He announced.  
  
In her mind, Star was jumping up and down.   
"Lord, what did I do to deserve this?" She thought to herself.   
Adam's thoughts were similar. He was walking on air. Now he just had to get around the fact that she was Cole's sister.  
For the rest of the day Star stuck close to Adam. The two were becoming fast friends, and Star was curious to find out more about him. He seemed so mysterious to her. And hanging out with the J.V. hockey team seemed kind of forbidden, like she was treading on thin ice. She didn't find out just how much, until lunch.  
  
"So, you wanna eat lunch at our table?" Adam asked.  
  
"Um, sure." Star smiled, as she followed Adam through the crowded cafeteria.  
  
"Hey, Star. How's your day been so far?" Connie asked, as the girls sat down across  
from one another.  
  
"Not bad, you?"  
  
"Fine." Connie replied.  
  
Guy took the seat next to Connie, and across from Adam.  
Just then a red headed boy with big red glasses and freckles took the seat next to Star.  
  
"Hi, who are you?" He asked bluntly.  
  
"Um, I'm Star Lawrence." She replied, uncertainly. Was this guy on the hockey team?  
  
"Averman." He replied.  
  
"Nice to meet you!"  
  
"We ran into Star this morning, on the lawn." Guy explained to him.  
Averman just nodded, and started eating his lunch.  
  
"Oh, and Star. That's Goldberg, Luis, Ken, Dwayne, Russ, Portman, Fulton, and Charlie, he's our captain. That's Linda, Charlie's girlfriend, and Nicci, Luis' girl of the week."   
Connie told her, as she pointed everyone out.   
  
"Girl of the week?" Star asked uncertainly.  
  
"You'll understand once you get to know him better." She explained. "Hey guys!"   
Connie yelled down to the end of the table, so everyone could hear her. "This is Star."  
There were a mixture of 'hi's' and 'what's ups?' down the table. Star just waved back. It was a little overwhelming for her to be meeting so many people on her first day in anew place.  
  
"So, how do you like the mac and cheese?" Goldberg asked.  
  
"Um, It's kinda gross." Star admitted.  
  
"You going to finish it?" He asked.  
She shook her head slowly.  
  
"I'll finish it for you." He offered.  
  
"Gold-berg!" Everyone moaned in unison, and then returned to their individual  
conversations.  
  
Star couldn't help but laugh. This seemed like a fun group.  
  
"Star." She heard a someone from behind her say in a stone cold voice.  
Slowly, a hushed tone fell over the table.  
  
"What do you want, Cole?" Star asked. She wasn't going to let her brother control who she hung out with at school. It was her life, and she was determined to keep it that way.  
  
"I don't want you hanging out with them." He said, sternly.  
  
"I'm sorry." Star replied in a mocking tone. "But you can't tell me what to do."  
  
"Your my littler sister, and you'll do what I want you to."  
Star arched an eyebrow. Before she could say anything Scooter stepped in.  
  
"Let it go, man." He said, gently to his friend.  
"You stay out of this!" Cole said to Scooter, raising his voice.  
  
"Come on, Star." Cole said, pulling her out of her seat by the arm.  
  
"Ow, Cole! Your hurting me! Stop it!" Star cried, helplessly. Her brother was almost a full foot taller than she was, and a whole lot bigger. Suddenly Charlie jumped to her defense.  
  
"Leave her alone, Cole." He said, indignantly.  
  
"This isn't your problem, Conway." He told him.  
  
"I'm making it my problem. Let her go, now!" He demanded.  
  
"Or what?" Cole spat.  
  
Charlie just shook his head, as he took Star's hand and pulled her out of the room.  
Adam blinked. Had that just happened? What was Charlie thinking? Adam knew what he had been thinking. Charlie was always the first to anyone's side when they needed help. He hated to see people pushed around. But that was a little much. He did have a girl friend after all, even if it was just a friendly gesture. Plus all he did was make Cole madder then he already was.  
  
"Are you okay?" Charlie asked Star once they were out in the hall way, outside the  
cafeteria.  
  
Star answered rolling her eyes. That had been embarrassing. Even though it had been nice of him. She had only known Charlie for what, five seconds, and here he was 'saving' her from her brother.   
  
"Yeah. Thanks, but. I'm fine. I don't need saving. I'm not a damsel in distress, or  
anything. And from what I understand, you have a girlfriend. So, I really appreciate it, but, you know, I'll see you around." She said as she bolted for the door.  
Star found herself sitting outside, on the front steps of the school. It was nice outside. Sunny, and a little chilly from the fall days that were now falling upon them in Minnesota. The sky was filled with big puffy clouds. And as Star looked up at them she drifted back to a time when her and her brother actually got along, where they loved each other, and hardly ever fought. Now things were just...different. Cole wanted Star to stay a little girl forever, and she was growing up to fast for his taste.  
  
"Hey, Star!" She heard a voice say. Looking up she saw Adam Banks standing beside her. "Charlie told me that you got kind of defensive on him."  
"Charlie's a nice guy, Adam. I guess I'm just really independent, you know? I can take care of myself."  
"Yeah, I noticed." He laughed.  
  
The two new friends spent the rest of lunch out in front of the school, talking and  
laughing together.  
After school Star headed to the ice rink, to wait for her brother's practice to be over so that they could talk. It was something that Cole had insisted on that morning when they had talked before class started.  
The junior varsity had practice first. From her seat at the top of the stands, Star watched the team scrimmage. She had grown up around hockey, and knew a lot about it, however didn't have much interest in playing it, herself.  
Star had noticed that Adam was a really good player, he probably was the best on the team. Charlie was the leader of the team, he was a good captain, although seemed kind of annoying to Star. Connie was also good, for a girl. She was a tough little thing. Star could never imagine playing hockey as well as Connie did. After the J.V. was done practicing, Julie came up to join her in the stands."  
  
"Hey." She greeted her.  
  
"Staying for practice?' Star asked.  
  
"Yeah. Scooter is helping me study after were done."  
Star nodded.  
  
"So, what do you think about Banks?" Julie asked.  
  
"He's really sweet." Star confessed.  
  
"Yeah...so do you like him?"  
  
"Maybe." She grinned, blushing a little bit.  
  
"Oh my God, you do!!!"  
  
Star laughed. "It could never happen. My brother would kill me."  
  
Julie sighed. "That's what I thought before me and Scooter started dating. But it's not that bad."  
  
Star shook head. "That's different though."  
  
Julie nodded. "If you really like him, it'll happen. Just don't let anyone keep you from what you really want."  
Star smiled. That was the best advice she had gotten in a long time. 


	2. Pizza and brotherly love

Star stared at the key in her hand and the door in front of her to make sure they matched.  
Room 319 B, third floor, room nineteen in B building, yup that was the place. She put the  
key in the lock and gently turned the knob. She wasn't sure what she was expecting but it  
wasn't what she found. Star was sharing a room with Luis's girlfriend Nicci and could  
already tell they were nothing alike. Nicci was laying on her bed with her knees bent, her  
face buried in the latest copy of Y.M. her Guster c.d. blaring in her headphones. Her side  
of the room was wallpapered in Josh Hartnett, Orlando Bloom and Hayden Christensen  
pictures.  
  
Star cleared her throat politely to gain Nicci's attention.  
  
"Hi Star, are you my new roomy?" Nicci put her magazine down and adjusted her glasses.  
  
"Yup, where should I put my stuff?" Star noticed her luggage had arrived sometime  
during the course of the day.  
  
"Wherever you want just don't block the picture of mine and Orlando's love child." She  
gestured to a clipping of Orlando holding a little blonde girl.  
  
"I won't I promise." Star began to unpack in silence, Nicci seemed nice enough but they  
had nothing in common.   
  
"Does Luis know you have kids?" Star joked moments later opening a box.  
  
"No." Nicci giggled "Do you need some help?"  
  
"Nope I got it thanks."  
  
"Okay well then I'm off to cheerleading practice." Nicci was a cheerleader that  
explained a lot. Though her leaving was good for Star after the fight she had with Cole  
after his practice she just wanted to be alone. This one had been worse then the one in the  
cafeteria because Riley had been there. She'd know Rick her whole life as well and he  
was treating her the same way Cole was. Giving her the third degree about the Ducks.  
She was so red with rage she was going to punch both of them in the stomach. Thank god  
for Scooter was all she could say. It was evident that he and Charlie were going to be  
giving their knight in shining armor muscles a work out.  
  
A little while later there was a knock at the door , which when it was opened revealed  
Rick Riley's younger brother Bryon.  
  
"Hey Star Rick told me you were here I had to see for myself."  
  
"Yeah I'm here." She retorted wryly, Star had hated Bryon her whole life and the stupid,  
lusty look he was giving her now was not helping.  
  
"So I see, I was thinking maybe you'd wanna go get a coke or something."  
  
"I don't think so, I've got a tons of stuff to do, unpacking and such., sorry." With that she  
closed the door in his face. "Still the same jerk he always was." Star mumbled to herself  
as she sunk into her bed with an exasperated groan.   
  
For the next half hour Star stewed in her thoughts. Memories of childhood mostly, when  
Cole was her best friend, and Rick Riley cared more about their friendship and hockey  
then reputation and money, and when Bryon pushed her in the mud and pulled her hair  
instead of flirting with her, and then there was the crush she had on Scooter when she  
was seven. All of the memories only made her madder, what had happened to them?   
They had grown up and boy she missed the old days.  
  
There was a knock at the door again and Star rolled out of bed with an attitude thinking it  
would be Bryon back to annoy her again.  
  
"I already told you I don't wanna get a soda with you! Why won't you just leave me  
alone?" She yelled flinging the door open only to see Adam standing there with a timid  
expression on his face.  
  
"No you didn't, but I'll leave you alone if you want me to." He shied back .  
  
"Oh Adam I'm sorry I thought you were someone else. Come on in. Wait a minute how  
did you know which room I was staying in?"  
  
"I ran into Nicci. I was thinking maybe you might want to come to Pizza Hut with me  
some of the team is going to grab a slice." He sat gingerly on the edge of her bed a photo  
of her and Cole catching his eye. "Your brother looks a lot nicer in that picture."  
  
"He was nicer then, that was the day he left to come here, the day my parents sent me to  
boarding school in Paris. They never really wanted me around anyway Cole was their  
pride and joy."  
  
"Wow French boarding school."  
  
"Yeah it sucked actually I wanted to come home so bad, here I am. To bad it didn't turn  
out how I hoped."  
  
Adam really couldn't say much, his older brother was is best friend and even though his  
dad pushed to be the best he knew his parents loved him.  
  
"Well let's go get that pizza." Star stood up shaking her head as if to erase the painful  
memories.  
  
"Follow me." Adam headed out the door and Star sighed Adam Banks was the cutest  
thing she'd ever seen.  
  
"After you." Adam said as he held the door open for Star as they walked into Pizza Hut.  
  
"Thank you." She replied, amazed with his politeness.  
  
"No problem." He said, blushing a little bit.  
  
The two friends quickly found a table and sat down close to the rest of the ducks.  
  
"So how are you liking Eden Hall?" Adam asked.  
  
"It's better than my old school, that's for sure." Star sighed.  
  
Adam just nodded.  
  
"So what about you, Adam? Do you like it here?"  
  
Adam shrugged. "I like it, I like having the ducks around all the time. You know, half of  
the team lives in various parts of the country, so during the summers and everything we  
don't really get to see each other."  
  
The other ducks nodded in agreement.  
  
"So, anyway. How are you and Nicci getting along?" He asked.  
  
"Pretty well actually." Star replied.  
  
Nicci nodded in agreement. "It's going to be an awesome year!"  
  
Star laughed as they continued their conversations about school, and hockey, and other  
things....Little did they know that Cole had talked with Scooter, (Who had decided not to  
go, and to stay and study for a test, instead) earlier, and found out where Star had gone.   
Her being off campus hadn't bothered him that much. It was when he had found out who  
she was with that he really got upset, and decided to go down there to bring her back.  
"Star!" She heard that very familiar, very threatening voice roar from behind her. Star  
cringed before she turned around to face her brother.  
  
"Star, your coming back to campus right now." He said, in a low toned voice.  
  
"Why?" Star objected.  
  
"You can't hang out with J.V. That's all there is to it." Cole replied simply.  
  
"But their my friends."  
  
It took everything Cole had not to scream out some profanity at that very second.  
  
"Go back to campus, Cole. It's not like we're doing anything here. Were just hanging  
out." Fulton spoke up.  
  
Cole ignored that comment, and kept his eyes firmly on Adam, clear that he knew what  
was going on. "Come on, Star. We're leaving." He said again.  
  
Star shook her head. "You can't make me."  
  
"Leave us alone, Cole. Go back and annoy your own team." Charlie spat.  
  
"You better watch yourself, Conway. You have no idea what we're capable of. You just  
wait." Cole said as he walked out of the restaurant.  
  
" 'Capable'...I didn't know that Cole knew any three syllable words." Averman said.  
  
"Shut up, Averman." Star said, rolling her eyes.  
  
"Star one question are you sure you're not adopted of something?" Goldberg asked with a face full of pepperoni.  
  
"I'll fix him for ya if he comes back." Portman offered  
  
"No Dean please don't hurt my brother. He's just a little over protective, if he had his way I wouldn't date till I was forty. Hanging out with you guys is just the top of the cake." Star leaned in and took a piece of mushroom pizza pretending what had just happened didn't.  
  
By the end of the night Charlie backed by the rest of the team had named Star an honorary duck. To which she laughed and replied  
  
"I'm going to be disowned from the family." 


	3. Breakfast trouble

The next morning, Nicci accidentally hit the wrong button on the girls' alarm clock. She  
ment to hit the snooze button, but instead had turned it off.  
  
"I wonder where Nicci is." Mari Anne wondered, aloud as she and her room mate, Kat  
were getting ready for school that day.  
  
"I dunno." Kat sighed, as she started to pull her shoulder length curly brown hair into a  
high pony tail. "I think her and her new room-mate Star went out with the JV hockey  
team last night. Maybe Connie and Julie'll know." She shrugged. The girls had roomed  
across the hall from the two female ducks all year, and they had gotten to be pretty close  
friends. "I'll ask them." Kat shrugged as she walked across the hall, and knocked on  
Connie and Julie's door. They were half ready, just as she and Kat were in their own  
dorm.  
  
"Either of ya'll seen Nicci, or Star?" Kat asked, in her smooth southern drawl, over the  
noise of Julie's blow dryer.  
  
"Not since last night." Connie shrugged.  
  
Kat sighed again, and walked over to their dorm. She knocked on the door loudly. "Nic?   
Star? Either of ya'll up yet?" She yelled.  
  
"Oh no!" Nicci groaned, getting up out of bed. Breakfast was in ten minuets, they were  
never going to be ready in time. She flung the door open, finding Kat, standing there, trying  
not to laugh in her face.  
  
"I think I turned off the alarm." She said, starting to pannic.  
  
It was then that Kat lost it. She walked away from the room, laughing at the vision of her  
friend standing there in a bathrobe, and her hair tangled, and frizzed.  
  
The noise had woken Star from her deep sleep, she was already up and scrambling  
around. She applied a light layer of make-up, and quickly brushed and fixed her hair,  
changed into jeans and a tee-shirt before stopping to make up her bed.  
  
"What is with all the scrambling around? It's not a big deal if your a little late for  
breakfast." Nicci told her.  
  
"It is today. I'm supposed to eat with Cole." Star said as she checked herself over once  
again in the mirror, and walked out the door, headed to the cafeteria.  
  
"Star!" She heard a voice yell just as she passed the boy's dorms.  
  
"Oh, hey Adam." She greeted him.  
  
"So, how about eating breakfast together today? Just you and me."  
  
"I'm sorry, I can't. I'm already eating with someone." She said, walking on a head,  
leaving a crushed Adam Banks, to think about what had just happened here.  
  
"I thought she liked me." He thought to himself. Adam had already planned on asking  
her to the school dance, that very afternoon. Now all bets were off. He sighed as he  
headed back up to his dorm. Suddenly he wasn't very hungry.  
  
"Banks, aren't you coming down to breakfast?" Portman asked, finding Adam  
coming up to the dorm room that they shared just as he was about to leave.  
  
Adam shook his head. "I don't feel too well." He said, it wasn't a lie, after all.  
  
"Should I go get the nurse?" Portman asked, concerned for his friend.  
  
"No, I'll be okay." He told his friend. "Don't worry about me, I'll be down in a while."  
  
Adam spent the rest of the morning, before school started, thinking about who he was  
going to ask to the dance. He couldn't go alone, it would be too humiliating.  
  
Star found Cole leaning against the cafeteria door with his arms folded impatiently. "What took you so long?" He asked.  
  
"I over slept. Don't worry Coley bear I wasn't fraternizing with the enemy." She teased her big brother causing him to smile for the first time since she'd been at Eden Hall.  
  
"I know you think this is stupid, Starlight but there's a lot going on between the J.V. and us and I don't want you in the middle of it. Oh, and for future reference never call me Coley bear in school again."  
  
"If you don't want me in the middle Cole, don't put me in the middle. I won't choose sides. I love hockey and I need friends. That makes the Ducks perfect candidates. Oh and no one's called me Starlight since I left for the Dubois Academy. The nickname died when I was ten lets keep it that way." Star looked in and noticed Bryon sitting with the varsity team and groaned "Is Bry gonna be there all breakfast?"  
  
"More then likely. Try to be nice to him okay, he grew into a good kid and he likes you."  
  
"That's the point Cole I don't like him, I like-"  
  
"Just give him a shot." Cole said, cutting her off and heading to his table  
  
The starting varsity right wing Zack saw Cole walking across the cafeteria with a cute girl boy his side and whistled. "Who is the babe with Cole?"  
  
Scooter laughed and nearly choked on his coffee. "That's his sister, touch her and he'll kill you."  
  
"And if he doesn't, I will." Riley added.  
  
"And I'll help him." Scooter put in.  
  
"Cole's related to her? Damn." Zack mutterd as he took another bite of his English muffin.  
  
Star smiled at the ducks as she passed their table to let them know she wasn't being forced against her will to eat with her siblings friends.  
  
"Where's she going?" Russ inqueried over his Captain Crunch.  
  
"She's eating with the varsity." Nicci shrugged and put her tray down near Luis.  
  
"Why?" Charlie asked as if there was no possible answer.  
  
"Duh! Because Cole's her brother." Kat replied walking past the table to where she sat with all the cheerleaders minus Nicci but plus Mari Anne who played softball instead.  
  
"Hey Nicci does your friend there got a date for the dance? The dark haired girl?" Portman asked as turned to her.  
  
"Kat? No she doesn't. She was complaining about it yesterday, but I think she likes Adam, sorry." Nicci put her head on Luis's shoulder in place of eating her food.  
  
"Do I look like the type that dates cheerleader? I was talking about the other one. The one that just walked by with Kat."  
  
"Mari Anne, no she doesn't either."  
  
"Good."  
  
"Guys I'd like you to meet my little sister Star. Star these are the guys." Cole pulled out a chair near Bryon and directed her to sit in it. She frowned slightly but decided she'd rather sit by him then someone she didn't know. In no time she was laughing and having a good time. She was even enjoying Bryon's company. That was until he asked her to go to the dance with him. Star didn't want to be rude but she was waiting for Adam to ask her, however, if he didn't she didn't want to go alone.  
  
"I'll think about it." She replied, politely.  
  
Kenny was passing them on his way to sit down and over heard the conversation. He was slightly confused and decided to bring it up with the team.  
  
"Star just said she might go to the dance with Bryon Riley."  
  
"That's funny I thought she liked Banks." Julie pondered out loud.  
  
"Guess not." Averman said simply and everyone else agreed.  
  
When Portman got back to his room after breakfast he found Adam in the same place he left him, a bump on the bed. "Hey Banksie why didn't ya come down?? He punched him in the shoulder and started loading up his backpack.  
  
"I'm not in the best of moods." Banks mumbled into his pillow and got up "What are you so happy about?"  
  
"I just got a date for the dance. You know that really cute girl on the softball team?"  
  
"Maybe if I had more info then that...."  
  
"The tall one with the chin length brown hair and those great oval eyes."  
  
"Mari Anne?"  
  
"Yeah her. Why does everyone know her name but me? Anyway I'm taking her, asked her at breakfast. Who are you bringing rich boy?" He said jokingly  
  
"I've been wanting to ask Star."  
  
"No good, she's going with Bryon Riley."   
  
"What?"  
  
"Yup. Ken heard them talking about it."  
  
"Then I'm not going I'm not gonna go by myself." Adam mutterd.  
  
"Oh hey, you should take Nicci's friend, the Kat chick, the curly haired cheerleader. I heard that she's got the hots for ya."  
  
"Thanks Dean I think I will."  
  
"No problem, and Banks, never call me Dean." Portman joked.  
  
Star sat in her seat in Mrs. Rayson's class her pencil poised over her notebook. She felt really bad about not being able to eat with Adam and couldn't wait to talk to him.  
  
"You're going with who?" She over heard Kat ask Mari Anne as they strode to their desks.  
  
"Dean Portman! You have no idea how shocked I was when he asked me!" Mari Anne smiled the curly haired bash brother was definitely a cutie and a half. "Now all we have to do is find you a date."  
  
"I have one." Kate declared mischievously.  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Adam Banks."  
  
Stars heart stopped and her blood chilled. Had she heard that right?  
  
"Your going with Adam Banks?" Mari Anne's jaw hung open.  
  
"Yup he asked me in the hallway on the way to class. Oh there he is. Hey, Adam! I was thinking of wearing purple to the dance." She told him as he slunk into his seat completely ignoring Star who was beside herself.  
  
"I guess I'm going with Bryon." Star thought tapping her pencil in frustration. 


	4. Confusion

Star stood quickly when the bell rang to end class. Somehow multiplying x by y to get z don't matter much when you're heart broken. She whizzed down the hall toward her next class trying to get he jealous thoughts from her head. She's only known Adam a day it wasn't like they were married or something. For him to take another girl to the dance should have been fine with her. But it wasn't, she was hurt.  
  
"Bryon." Star reached out her hand to stop him from passing her in the corridor  
  
"Oh Star what's up?" He stopped abruptly causing the person behind him to crash into his back  
  
"I wanted to tell you...yeah, let's go to the dance together. I'll even brush off my American Express card and buy a new outfit." Star should've received an Oscar for her performance then, especially when she caught sight of Banks walking by on his way to their history class.  
  
Bryon was surprised by her sudden stroke of niceness towards him. He'd been certain she'd say no, so certain in fact he already had another girl in mind to ask.  
  
"Great, umm we'll talk it out later. I'm going to Rick's practice, meet me there after school."  
  
Star thought about it for a minute; J.V. was going to be at the rink as well, Adam would be there.   
  
"Oh well," She thought, "this is how it's going to have to be."   
"Sure I'll see you then." Star said she started on her way to history again.  
  
Star's seat was behind Adam and next to Nicci, a spot that would've been good if the events if that morning had never taken place. She pulled her sparkly pink gel pen from her purse and began biting the cap agitated.  
  
"What's the matter Star?" Nicci whispered as the teacher turned around to write some notes on the board  
  
Star chomped down harder on her pen cap. "Your friend Kat is taking Adam to the dance." She scribbled on a blank sheet of paper and passed it to her.  
  
"So? You're going with Bryon Riley." Nicci wrote back  
  
"Never mind, I'll be fine." She tossed the paper to Nicci once again and another note landed on her desk. One from in front of her. She debated opening it but in the end curiosity prevailed.  
  
"I want to talk to you meet me at practice. -Adam"  
  
"Okay I'll be there." She tapped Adam on the shoulder handed him the note and went back to copying the history notes.  
  
She had to meet Bryon at the same time in the same place. That was either extremely convenient or extraordinarily dangerous.  
***  
That afternoon after the final bell, Star hurried down to the rink, not wanting to be late. She didn't really feel like looking for Bryon, she really wanted to talk to Adam, even though she had no clue what she would say to him, but since neither of them were there Star took, what was becoming her regular seat at the top of the bleachers. Soon she was joined by Bryon Riley.  
  
"Hey, Star, so about the dance." Bryon said as he sat down next to her.  
Just then Adam was walking into the rink. He noticed Star and Bryon at the top of the bleachers together. They were talking and laughing, they looked like they were really having fun together. He stopped in his tracks to stare at Star. She was so beautiful. It hurt Adam to think that he would never ever have a chance with her.  
  
"Hey, it's not the end of the world, man." Guy said, placing a supportive hand on Adam's back.  
  
"Easy for you to say!" He exclaimed. "You have a date to the dance!"  
  
"Last I knew, so did you." Guy laughed. "Or have you forgotten your brown haired, green eyed, cheerleading goddess?"  
  
Adam smiled. "Kat's really sweet and everything but-"  
  
"I know, she's not Star. But by the looks of that," Guy said motioning to Bryon and Star, "It's not going to happen. You might as well go with Kat, who by the way, is really cool, even if she is a cheerleader, and have a great time."  
  
Adam smiled at his friend. "Thanks Guy."  
  
"No problem, Banks."  
  
Star and Bryon stayed and watched the J.V.'s hockey practice together. Maybe it was just the familiarity of having Bryon around, or maybe it was because she was actually warming up to him, but Star was actually starting to enjoy his company.  
  
"So, are you still bummed out about not being able to play on the J.V?" Star asked Bryon.  
  
"Not really." He sighed. "Actually, I never really liked hockey that much. It was just something to pass the time, you know? It was just Rick and Dad that were so into it."  
  
Star nodded. "You were good though, weren't you?"  
  
He shrugged. "I don't think I could have cut it with the ducks."  
  
"Yeah, they look pretty good, huh?"  
  
"They are good; they beat the varsity!"  
  
"I keep hearing about that." Star sighed.  
  
"Aw, Star, it was a great game, except for the fact that the varsity lost but, you would have loved it. You should get the game film, it's in the library!"  
  
"Maybe." She sighed.  
Down on the ice, Adam's head wasn't in the game. He kept wondering about what Bryon and Star were talking about.  
The team was scrimmaging, Guy was the only one off the ice, taking a break.  
  
"Germaine, do you know what's up to Banks? He's never this unfocused." Coach Orion asked him.  
  
Guy sighed, as he set down his water bottle. "Girl troubles." He replied, shaking his head.  
  
Those two words about summed it up, for Adam that day. The scrimmage ended with Fulton slamming him into the boards, and Russ, who was on the other scrimmage team firing a shot on an open goal, and of course, scoring.   
  
"The perfect end, to a perfect day." Adam muttered as he skated back in the locker room. "Yeah right."  
  
  
"Nicci you look great would you stop brushing you hair or you'll give yourself a bald spot." Mari Anne watched as the tall blonde combed her hair for the 10 thousandth time.  
  
"You've gone out with Luis before Nicci." Kat's southern twang came from her perch on the bed  
  
"But this is our one week anniversary." Nicci smiled rolling on her kiwi lip gloss.  
  
"Life is great you've got Luis, Mari Anne got Portman, I've got Adam and Star had Bryon. She must really like him she hasn't come back yet." Kat observed  
  
Nicci knew better, knew the truth but she didn't have the heart to say anything. Lat had been her friend longer and she'd liked Adam for months. Nicci would have felt bad if she ruined it fro her.  
  
In Luis's room  
  
Luis was standing in front of his mirror adjusting the color on his green silk shirt when there was a knock at the door.  
  
"Come in." He yelled  
  
The door squeaked open and Adam popped his head in.  
"Hey Luis do have a minute?"  
  
"Hola, Banksie. What's up?"  
  
"I need some girl advice."  
  
"Well my friend you've come to the right place. What do ya need?"  
  
"I like Star." Adam affirmed sitting on Luis's desk chair.  
  
"She is one beautiful senorita, what's the problem?"  
  
"Bryon Riley."  
  
"Oh. I see you're point. My advice is go for it Banks. If you like her don't let some loco bastard like Bryon get in your way. Now if you don't mind I gotta go get Nicci we're going skatin'." Luis left Adam more confused then he had been before. Guy and Luis had given him completely opposite suggestions. He had no idea who to listen to. 


	5. The dance

The week past in such slow motion Star was beginning to think she was frozen in time. Adam still wasn't speaking to her and despite this they were both falling harder for each other everyday. Just from what they heard by eavesdropping on conversations the other was having with someone else was doing it. Star alternated between sitting with the Ducks and with the varsity daily getting the gossip on the latest pranks. The most recent had been when the varsity team covered the ducks clothes in gum and rolled them into one big ball with the message "Ducks stick together." on the ceiling. It was Friday night now of the following week. The dance was the matter of hours away.   
  
Star was sitting on her bed with a careworn expression. She had bought a long red gauzy skirt with black flowers on it and a matching red handkerchief shirt. It looked spectacular on her and she was going to knock Bryon dead, still she wanted Adam. She was alone in her room getting ready, Nicci had gone over to Kat's room to help her primp for her date with Adam. When there was a knock on the door Star sighed very deeply and wondered over to answer it.  
  
"Star, wow, you look amazing." Bryon gasped holding out the bouquet of sunflowers that he'd brought for her.  
  
She had French braided her long blonde hair and her black leather sandals showed of her newly painted toenails.  
  
"Thanks, Bry." She smiled taking the flower and putting them on her dresser. "Shall we go?"  
  
"Yup." Bryon held out his hand for Star who she took it half heartedly.  
  
When they arrived, the dance was already in full swing and her friends were all huddled in together in the back right corner. She wanted to go say 'hi' to them but she was with Bryon and Adam was standing with his strong arms wrapped around Kat. She looked absolutely phenomenal; her light brown hair piled high on her head, and tight black hip huggers were kissing her curves along with a light purple peasant top.   
  
"It' s no wonder Adam took her instead of me." Star thought to herself as she followed Bryon onto the dance floor. The entire night she stole glances at Adam, he was laughing, smiling and other wise ripping her heart out. Quickly she realized that Bryon was the most self centered person she'd ever met, all the sweet things he'd said to her over the course of the week had been to win her over.   
  
"Adam what's the matter?" Kat was in his arms as they swayed to the music but she could tell that he wasn't enjoying himself.  
  
"Oh nothing." He answered, forcing a smile and pulling her closer.  
  
"You're watching Star, Adam…."  
  
"I'm not, Kat, really."   
  
Kat gave him a knowing look that made Adam cave.  
  
There was something about the look in Kat's eyes that made him want to tell her the truth, as much as he didn't want to hurt Kat, Adam knew that it was the right thing to do.  
  
  
"I am. I'm sorry Kat."  
  
"It's alright I can take it. She's been watching you all night too you know."  
  
"She has?"  
  
"Yeah, go talk to her." Kat walked away leaving Adam alone in the middle of the dance floor.  
  
Star was standing by the punch bowl when Adam got to her. She grinned at him politely and turned to walk away.  
  
"Star hold on a second." He grasped her shoulder.  
  
"What is it Adam?" Star's braided whipped her neck as she spun around  
  
"Are you having a good time?"  
  
"No not really. You seem to be though, Kat's pretty cool."  
  
"Yeah she's nice. Why aren't you enjoying yourself?"  
  
"I really didn't wanna come with Bryon…"  
  
"Oh who did u want to go with?"  
  
"If you don't already know, Adam, you've been pushed into the boards to many times."   
  
Banks blushed six shades of red at her comment.  
  
  
"Star do you wanna dance?"  
  
"What about your date?"  
  
He looked over at Kat who was now enthralled in convo with Kenny.  
  
  
"I think she'll be okay."  
  
  
Star grinned as she took Adam's hand, and walked out onto the dance floor.  
  
As Adam had expected Star fit perfectly in his arms and her hair smelled like lilacs. The skin of her back was as soft as cloud. It was fitting that the song that was playing was 'Lady In Red'. When Adam leaned in and kissed her softly on the cheek it was now her turn to blush. They stayed in each others arms on the floor for along while before Adam had to step outside for some air.  
  
"Hey Star where's Banksie?" Charlie tapped her on the shoulder  
  
"He went outside." She replied  
  
"Can you go get him?" Charlie aske. "Linda and I wanna leave, and I wanna say good bye."  
  
"Sure thing." Star replied, however, she only got as far as the door way before she stopped. In the parking lot were three figures, one tall and blonde in a varsity jacket, another shorter with dark hair and eyes, and last with sandy hair and an athletic build. It was Bryon, Adam and Cole. Cole had Adam's arm pinned behind him as Bryon punched him repeatedly in the stomach. Star ran back to the ducks corner, panting.  
  
"Cole and Bryon are beating up Adam!!" She managed.  
  
"Go help him!" Mari Anne directed shoving Portman out of her arms  
The bash brothers were the first out the door, along with Scooter, who had been with Julie close on their heels and the rest of the team not far behind. Portman and Fulton lunged at Cole knocking him over and releasing Banks. Adam fell to the ground sputtering and gasping, for the wind that had been knocked out of him form the numerous blows to the gut.  
  
"That's what you get for putting your lips on my sister!" Cole taunted.  
  
"Scooter get him outa here now!" Star demanded, knealing beside Adam.  
  
"You better beat it too, Riley, if you know what's good for you." Fulton warned him.  
  
"Come on Banksie let's get you to bed." Charlie put Adams arm around his neck and wrapped his around Banks's waist, Luis doing the same.  
  
"You know, when I told you to fight for you girl, mi amigo, this is not exactly what I had in mind." Luis joked as they headed for the dorm.  
  
"Yeah." Adam mumbled. "I knew I should have listened to Guy." He said, trying to lighten the mood a little. Luis grinned; he probably would have laughed, if it weren't for the severity of the situation.  
  
The boys laid Adam down on his bed and Dean apologized to Mari Anne for having to cut their date short. He wanted to stay in his room to keep an eye on his friend.  
  
"Why don't you apologize outside." Adam instructed him "I wanna talk to Star a minute." The ducks all left and Star timidly approached his bedside.  
  
"I'm sorry they did this to you." She wiped a stray hair from his eyes. He had enchanting eyes, like a vast sea of blue.  
  
"It's ok, I'm a hockey player remember I used to it...Star I really like you…I think I might love you…" He licked the blood off the side of his mouth and brought his head up to hers. He kissed her tenderly on the lips. Star thanked heaven she was sitting down or her knees would've given way.  
  
"I love you too Adam." 


	6. A nutty prank

Star smiled as she saw Adam's eyes beginning to droop.  
  
"Get some sleep. I'll meet you at breakfast in the morning?"  
  
"You better." He squeezed her hand "Night baby."  
  
"Good night." Star replied as she left the room, practically floating on cloud nine. "Be quiet he's asleep." She said to Portman, who was still standing in the hall.  
  
Scooter was waiting outside the J.V. boys dorm for Star when she came out.  
  
"How's Banks doing?"  
  
Star jumped at the voice in the darkness but began to relax when she realized it was only Scott Anderson.  
  
"I think he'll be all right. He didn't deserve that Scooter, I don't get what's happened to Cole. He used to be so friendly and gentle, now he's…I don't know what he is. Where is he, by the way?"  
  
"Tearing apart his dorm room. But I told him if I catch him leaving the room I'd show the cheerleading squad the pictures of him in you moms wedding dress.  
  
"That's awful." Star laughed for the first time in a week.  
  
"Nah, he was cuter then, anyway."  
  
"Nicer too. God Scooter what happened to us?"  
  
"We grew up; some of us not for the better. But you turned out great Star. You know I always thought of you as my little sister."  
  
"And I always had a crush on you." Star's cheeks tinted pink again.  
  
"You did? I never knew that." He couldn't believe it  
  
"Yup. Remember for my eighth birthday I gave you an invitation, that was homemade and covered in glitter? I made it especially for you, everyone else got store bought ones."  
  
"I didn't even go to you party that year did I? I had a peewee game." Scooter resolved.  
  
Star nodded. "I waited by the window for the whole party because you said you'd be there. I waited till dark, you never showed up and I cried."  
  
"Geeze make me feel guilty about something I did over 6 years ago. If I'd known, I woulda gone." The handsome goalie smiled at her.  
  
"It's okay. It helped me get over you, which is good because if I was still swooning over you, I would've missed out on Adam."  
  
"True. Here's your stop." Star didn't realize they had reached her room until Scooter pointed it out.  
  
"Good night Scott, thanks for the talk."  
  
"Anytime, good night Star."   
  
By lunch time the following Monday, Adam was feeling a lot better. The usual gang gathered at the J.V. table in the cafeteria for lunch. The ducks, plus Linda, Star, Scooter, who was planning to avoid his team mates since after the incident at the dance; Mari Anne, who was with Portman; Nicci, who was amazingly still holding things up with Luis; and Kat, who had found a friend in Ken after Adam had ditched her for Star at the dance.   
  
Walls between the cliques were coming crumbling down at Eden Hall, however, the one held up between the ducks, and the warriors was still going strong. The varsity hockey team, was the only team that was objecting to the school wide mascot change. Most of the team was still wearing their warrior jerseys to practice in protest. Their first game with their new jerseys would be Friday, and they weren't too happy about it.  
  
Towards the end of lunch Riley, and Cole approached the duck's table, both wearing huge, excited grins on their faces.  
  
"What do you want, Riley?" Charlie asked. He was about to take a bite out of his brownie, when the varsity had so rudely interrupted them.  
  
Just then, halfway across the cafeteria a loud screech came from the varsity table, heads turned in that direction. The entire table had turned around long enough for Riley to switch Charlie's brownie with another one.  
  
"Sorry, about that!" A varsity player, Zack Smith yelled loudly enough for the entire cafeteria to hear him. After that people started talking again, and the team turned their attention back to Riley, and Cole.  
  
"So?" Portman asked the varsity captain, impatiently.  
  
"Never mind, go back to your little fun, duckies." Cole said with a laugh, as the two turned to walk back to their own table.  
  
"That was weird." Ken shrugged, as he went back to his food.  
  
"Tell me about it." Charlie murmured as he took a bite out of his brownie. He had consumed the whole thing before even noticing the obvious.  
  
"Guys?" He asked, a few of his friends stopped what they were doing, and turned towards him.  
  
"What?" Guy asked, taking a sip of his soda.  
  
"Did those brownies have nuts?"   
  
"Half of them did, and half of them didn't..." Goldberg replied.  
  
"You would know." Kat joked, rolling her eyes at Goldberg.  
  
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Goldberg asked.  
  
"Nothing." Kat laughed.  
  
"It better not have because-"  
  
"Crap!" Charlie exclaimed cutting Goldberg off.  
  
"What?" Luis asked.  
  
"Don't you get it?" Charlie started. "Riley and Cole switched my brownie for one with nuts!"  
  
"And that's a bad thing?" Mari Anne asked, curiously.  
  
Charlie shot her a look. Usually he wouldn't have had such an attitude towards his friends but he was not in the best humor, knowing what was about to happen to him. Guy was the first one to understand what was going on, and burst into laughter.   
  
"Only if your Charlie." He said, answering Mari Anne's earlier question.  
  
"Did you just eat that whole thing?" Fulton asked.  
  
Charlie nodded miserably.  
  
"What?" Mari Anne asked, still not understanding.  
  
"Charlie's allergic to nuts." Portman explained.  
  
Averman nodded in agreement. "He breaks out in hives, and blows up like a balloon. I've seen it happen, it's pretty funny."  
  
"Shut up, Averman." Charlie growled. "Look, it's all ready starting." He said holding up his bloated left hand. It had already begun to break out in hives.  
  
"How did they find out about your allergy?" Julie asked, from the other side of the table.  
  
"I don't know. But were going to get them back. You guys have no clue how uncomfortable I'm going to be by the end of the day." He moaned.  
  
By the end of lunch, Charlie's skin was covered with huge red whelps. All of the ducks and company had a good laugh with it at first, but now they were realizing that the varsity had to be put in their place. This was going to be interesting.  
  
"If it's a prank war they want, it's a prank war that their gonna get." Portman declared, as he slapped palms with Fulton.  
  
"Were taking no prisoners!" He growled.  
  
After lunch Adam and Star headed to their next class together.  
  
"Poor Charlie." Star sighed as they settled into their seats before the bell rang. "I mean, I feel awful for him."  
  
Adam nodded in agreement.  
  
"Do you think that this is going to get ugly?"  
  
"I hope not but, with the varsity...you never know." Adam replied, shaking his head. 


	7. His Royal Highness Guy Germaine

The next morning Star woke with a start to sound of Shakira blasting from Nicci's stereo.  
Whenever wherever was not one of Stars favorite songs especially not at 7:00 in the  
morning.  
  
"Ugh." She groaned putting a pillow over her face. The sign in front of the school said  
Welcome to Eden Hall not Welcome to Hell, yet there she was sharing a room with the  
devil herself.  
  
"Nicci, turn that off please I hate Shakira."  
  
"Sorry my friend from the U.K., Cat, and I belly dance to this song." The bouncy girl  
switched off the radio.  
  
"And what does Luis think of you belly dancing skills?"  
  
Nicci giggled and turned crimson. "He likes it. Now come on get up we have breakfast in  
twenty minutes."  
  
Cole was again waiting by the cafeteria door as Star and Nicci headed in.  
  
"Star hold on a second." Cole commanded, his tone slightly edgy.  
  
"Go on I'll be in, in a second." Star told Nicci then glared at her brother, "What is it  
Cole."  
  
"Star you know I hate those ducks. They're the reason Bryon didn't make J.V…."  
  
"I knew that already and I'm not gonna argue with you about this. You lucky I'm even  
speaking to you after what you did to Charlie. And the shit you pulled at the dance Cole I  
should've called the police. Adam is a great guy and you know it. You had nothing bad to  
say about him in your letters, until he rejoined the ducks. Now I'm going to eat with my  
new friends and my new boyfriend and you can kiss off." With that she spun on her heels  
and tromped into the lunch room.  
  
Star settled into a seat between Adam and Kat putting her head in her hands. Suddenly  
she wasn't in the mood to eat not to mention she was getting a migraine the size of Utah.  
  
"So did you guys decide on a prank?" Kat questioned taking a bite of her bagel.  
  
"Not yet we'll talk it over at practice." Charlie answered still slightly lumpy from the  
nuts.  
  
"Just don't get yourself into trouble." Mari Anne warned.  
  
"Don't worry babe." Portman put his arm around her shoulder.  
  
"Girls don't like to be called babe, Dean." Linda snapped.  
  
"Hey Charlie you better watch your girl man" Portman grunted.  
  
"I just had a brilliant idea!" Julie yelled from her end of the table, "Ken, how good are  
you with a computer?"  
  
"Not bad why?" Their resident technology whiz answered.  
  
"I'll tell you at practice." The goalie replied with a sly smile on her face that could only  
lead to trouble.  
  
The rest of the day went off without a hitch and soon it was dark. Star and Nicci were  
just about ready to climb into bed when they heard the sound of pebbles on their window.  
  
"Who's there?" Nicci called in a loud whisper sliding the screen open.  
  
"It's us." Adam stepped into the moonlight with Luis.  
  
"What do you want? It's past curfew!" Star stuck her head out to get a better look at  
them.  
  
"We're going to pull off our prank. We wanted to come see you lovely ladies first." Luis  
was smooth even at 11:30 at night.  
  
"Why?" Nicci asked, confused.  
  
"If we get caught we'll be kicked out before tomorrow morning." Her boyfriend told her.  
  
"Why, what are you doing?" Star was now worried.  
  
"We can't tell you, we don't want you to get in trouble too." Even in the dark Adam's  
eyes gleamed.  
  
"Banks, Luis, let's go!" They heard Guy call from the shadows.  
  
"Goodbye my sweet Nicci." Luis blew her a kiss and sneaked off.  
  
"Night, Star." Adam yelled up  
  
"Good night Adam. Be careful." Star said back, "Love you."  
  
"I will, I love you too." With that Banksie disappeared into the night.  
  
It was decided that the whole team didn't need to be along for this mission. It was too  
dangerous. Connie and Julie were keeping watch on the roof of the girls' dorm, which  
was right across from the school, the could see almost everything, while Guy, Luis,  
Adam, and Ken would be sneaking into the school's main office. The lights were turned  
off, and it appeared to be empty. The boys had to pick the lock on the office door to get  
into the room. The ducks knew from experience with their ant prank on the varsity that  
the office was the only room that they locked during the night.  
  
"Flashlight." Luis whispered, once the boys had made it into the room. Adam nodded  
and turned his on, flashing it in the corners of the room. It was empty.  
  
The plan was to tap into the school's main student database and change the varsity  
player's grades, failing them in numerous subjects, to make them ineligible to play in  
their game on Friday. They were in luck that report cards were due out that Thursday.  
  
"Okay." Ken said sitting down at the office computer. "Let's get crackin'."   
  
It only took a few minuets for Ken to hack into the database. After he was in, it was no  
problem. Guy read off a list of names from the varsity roster, and Ken changed the  
grades. Just as they were about to turn the computer off, and head back to their dorms,  
Connie's frantic voice came over the walkie-talkie.  
  
"The Dean's coming!" She exclaimed.  
  
The boys panicked.  
  
"Time for plan B!" Luis whispered.  
  
"Separate, abandon mission, get yourselves out! The enemy is approaching at rapid  
pace!" Julie's yelled into her walkie-talkie.  
  
The boys ran out of the room, leaving everything as they had found it. The computer had  
shut itself down just in time. The boys separated, each hiding in a different class room.   
That had been the emergency plan. If the dean only caught one of the ducks, he couldn't  
punish the rest of the team.  
  
"Is everyone secure?" Ken asked.  
  
"I'm in the back closet of the music room." Adam answered.  
  
"I'm hiding in the teacher's lounge. Hey, have you guys ever been in here before? It's  
tight! They've got a mini fridge with sandwiches and-"  
  
"Shut up Mendoza!" Ken commanded. "This is Sixteen, and I'm in the science lab."  
  
There was a silence over the ducks' radios as they waited for Guy to report in.  
  
"Where's Germaine?" Banks asked, after no response had been made.  
  
"Did anyone see him after we left the office?" Ken asked, his palms starting to sweat.  
  
"He was the last one out." Adam replied.  
  
Luis cursed to himself. "Where are you, Guy?" He mumbled. Praying that he hadn't be  
caught.  
  
"Should we send out a search and rescue?" Julie asked, from the roof.  
  
"No. Give him a minuet. What's the status on the dean?" Adam asked.  
  
"No sign. He's been in there for three and a half minuets now."  
  
"If he's not out in ten, lets look for Guy." Luis said, nervous that the dean had found him.  
  
The ducks waited for a few more minuets before Connie broke radio silence.  
  
"The Dean is leaving!" She reported, just as she saw him walk out of the building. "Find  
the lost duck and get out!"  
  
Just then Guy's voice came over the intercom. "I'm in the office you morons, you left  
me!"  
  
"Guy, is that you?" Ken asked into his radio.  
  
"Naw, it's the queen of England." Guy answered in an annoyed voice. "Who else would  
it be? I'm locked in."  
  
Quickly the boys ran to the office, and picked the lock to let Guy out.  
  
"What happened?" Ken asked, once they were out of the building.  
  
"I crawled under the desk. The dean sat down to work on the computer. He was like two  
inches from me!" Guy said. "I almost passed out; I had to turn off my radio."  
  
"God, I can't believe we pulled it off." Luis exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, the varsity is gonna flip when they find out that they can't play!" Banks laughed.  
  
"Man, I should have asked you to change me Algebra grade while we were in there,  
Kenny." Luis joked.  
  
Ken shook his head. "No more of that, for me. My computer hacking days are over  
with."  
Star was a nervous wreck the whole night wondering if Adam had been caught so  
nervous in fact she got less then four hours of sleep. She woke with the sun the next day  
pulling on a pair of tight fitting dark blue flares and bright yellow sweater she left the  
room. Gently she tapped on Adam and Portman's door, taking care not to wake the people  
sleeping in surrounding rooms.  
  
"Star what the heck are you doing?" Portman came to the door scratching his bare chest.  
  
"I umm." She averted her eyes to not be staring at the chiseled pecks on the Bash Brother.   
"I wanted to make sure Adam got back all right last not."  
  
"Banksie, your girls here get up." Portman said, kicking Adams bed.  
  
Adam stirred slightly and opened his eyes. "Star?"  
  
"I wanted to check on you, but now that I'm here get up so we can go to breakfast  
together."  
  
The team sat in their usual seats that morning giggling about their latest adventure, well  
all but Nicci, Star, Mari Anne, Kat and Linda that still didn't know what was going on.  
  
So what did you do?" Linda asked over her yogurt.  
  
"You'll find out in about ten seconds, sweetie." Was Charlie's answer.  
  
It was at that exact moment when coach Wilson walked in and stormed straight to the  
Varsity table.  
  
A few seconds later a roar of "You're kidding? All of us?" Came from Riley.  
  
"Even me?" Scooter asked puzzled over how that could've happened.  
  
"Even you Scooter, now we have to forfeit the last game of the season." With that,  
Wilson stalked off.  
  
The ducks broke into hysterical fits of laughter slapping the table and crying.  
  
"You didn't?" Stars jaw dropped.  
  
"We did." Fulton nodded, "All thanks to the little bash brother." he patted Kenny on the  
back.  
  
"You guys are gonna pay for this." Cole snarled as the team marched past the J.V.  
  
"Thanks a lot guys." Scooter's voice was small and disappointed and he shot Julie a  
sorrowful glance.  
  
"Oh great now even Scooter hates us. That's not a good thing." Julie declared and  
everyone else agreed. 


	8. And they call it goalie love

As Julie was walking to her second period class when noticed Scooter standing by his locker  
with some of the other varsity players. She glanced at him, receiving a glare back in return. Julie  
felt her heart crumble. She thought that she and Scooter had overcome every possible odd, they  
had gone past their J.V. ,Varsity labels, gotten their team-mates to half-way go along with it. She  
thought that Scooter would be her first boy friend, for sure, especially after the night that they  
had spent together at the dance. It had all been pure magic until they had to rescue Adam from  
the rest of the Varsity. All day long Julie really wasn't herself. Her thoughts about Scooter were  
taking over her mind. She couldn't even pay attention during class, a task that was usually  
relatively easy for her.   
  
"Hey, Julie!" Goldberg hissed during social studies that day. "What'd you get for number seven?"  
He asked  
  
"45" She whispered over her shoulder.  
  
"45 was not the first president of the confederacy."  
  
"I'm sorry, Goldberg, I'm not paying attention ask Linda."  
  
Not only was Julie's head not on her studies that day but it also wasn't on hockey at practice  
either. Coach Orion nearly had a cow when she allowed Averman to score off of her.  
  
"All right, what's wrong with Gaffney?" He demanded of the players waiting on the bench for line  
change.  
  
"Boy trouble." Connie put as simply as her boyfriend had "girl trouble" days before  
  
"Jesus, what is it with you guys lately? That's it practice is over." He blew the whistle angrily as  
Julie missed another save.  
  
Star climbed down from her perch on the bleachers when Adam came freshly showered from the  
locker room.  
  
"What's the matter with Julie?"  
  
Her boyfriends arms came around her slim waist and she rested her head on his shoulder.  
  
"Scooter's really pissed about the grade thing. He hasn't spoken to her all day. You've known  
him for a long time, does he usually hold a grudge?"  
  
"The Scott Anderson I know would take a lot of shit from people he doesn't like, but if someone  
he cares about screws him over it takes along time for him to forgive. And he really cared about  
Jules."  
  
"That's not good, we need our goalie back for the game on Friday. Julie just isn't doing her job."  
  
"I'll talk to Scooter." Star shrugged.  
  
"Thanks." Adam pressed his lips to her cheek, "So do you wanna grab a burger?"  
  
"Not right now, I've got two goalies to get back together. Maybe around seven?"  
  
"Whenever you want baby. See you later?"  
  
"Yup, bye Hun."  
  
"Bye."  
  
Then they parted Banks to his dorm and Star to varsity's. She ran into Riley on the way up the  
stairs and was surprised to find him still speaking to her. Despite the fact she was dating a duck.  
Rick told her that he and Scooter shared a room and gave her the number while heading out to  
find Mindy. When Luis left her for Nicci she'd gone crawling back to Riley and being as he was a  
guy and she was gorgeous he took her back. Varsity captains date head cheerleaders that's just  
how it is.  
  
Star knocked on the door lightly and waited for a "come in." hearing none she pushed it open  
slowly. She found Scooter laying on his bad staring moodily at his ceiling as if the ceiling had in  
some way insulted him.  
  
"Hey Scooter, you got a minute?" She tried to sound cheerful without sounding patronizing.  
  
"I've got a lot of minutes, no practice, the teams all been benched." He grumbled  
  
"Yeah I heard. You have to admit that was a pretty good prank." Star chuckled Scooter only  
scowled.  
  
"Okay Scott you know coach Wilson is going to fix everything so you can play Friday. This has  
noting to do with being benched, what's the real problem?" Sat was already getting annoyed with  
his thick headedness.  
  
"I really like Julie, I thought she liked me too. Why would she let her team do this to me if she did  
though?"  
  
"Look at it this way, when you were letting your team cover her clothes in chewed up gum, did  
you not care about her?"  
  
"I see you're point." He conceded.  
  
"I'm going to tell you something a smart guy said to me one 'Life is a lot like hockey, you can't  
stop everything that comes at ya, so concentrate on what you know you can.'."  
  
Scooter grinned hearing the words of wisdom he'd given her when she found out her parents  
were sending her to Paris.  
  
"Now, I know you can't stop this stupid prank war, but you can stop the pain you and Jules are  
both in right now." Star finished.  
  
"Thanks Star, sometimes I wonder how you and Cole are related." The senior got up from his  
bed and headed to the door,  
  
"Only by blood." Star goofed, following him out  
  
Even alone in her dorm Julie wasn't herself, her science book sat open on her desk but homework was the furthest thing from her mind. She hadn't thought about what that stupid prank was going to do to her relationship with Scooter. She knew the only thing about Eden Hall he cared about beside her and Star was hockey. And she'd messed up hockey for him, and his feelings for her.  
Thinking about everything that was going on with Scooter just made her feel worse. Julie threw her pencil down against her notebook. There was no way that she was going to be able to do her homework that night.  
  
"I need to get out of here." She mumbled to herself.  
Julie stood up from her spot on her bed, and grabbed a jacket. As she flung the door open she found a varsity hockey player standing there, with his hand up, like he was about to knock on the door, and goofy, surprised look on his face.  
  
"Scooter?" She asked. "What are YOU doing here?" She asked, coldly.  
  
"I came to talk to you, can I come in."  
  
"Actually I was just leaving. I've got somewhere to be." She lied. Inside, Julie was kicking herself. Why had she just said that? She was in agony over Scooter being mad at her, and here he was, standing there, ready to apologize. "I was going to go on a walk!" She put in, before Scooter could say anything. "I don't suppose that you'd....wanna come?" She hinted.  
  
Scooter nodded. With that the two started on their way, around the Eden Hall campus.  
  
"So?" Julie asked, after Scooter hadn't spoken up for a while.  
  
"Listen, Julie. I don't want to beat around the bush. I love you, and I know you love me, and I also know that we can't let this stupid prank war come between us."  
Julie nodded. "I feel stupid for taking it this far."  
  
"Lets just know that anything that happens during the prank war, doesn't affect us."  
Julie nodded. "I'm sorry."  
  
"I'm sorry too." He smiled, leaning to kiss his girlfriend, something that he hadn't been able to do for a long, long time.....  
After they parted Julie smiled and tugged Scooters hand dragging him back to her dorm where they got comfortable on her bad snuggled closely together and watched Big Brother. 


	9. Party Time

Adam was bored out of his mind as he sat in his dorm room. Portman was at the library  
with Fulton working on their Music History project. So Adam had nothing to do but sign  
on to the Ducks chat room. He reached under his bed and pulled out his laptop and  
signed in hoping some of the team would be on. He was in luck; a few of the other ducks  
were on.  
  
"POORLILRICHBOY HAS ENTERED THE CHAT"  
  
CptDucky: Hey Banksie what's up?  
PoorLilRichBoy: Not much I was bored. U?  
CptDucky: Same  
Luvhim4eva: bored strikes again  
Luvher4eva: me too  
XGoalie33: I'm looking for Averman  
LoneRoper: I'm with ya'll it's mighty dull round here  
  
"MEANDEAN21 HAS ENTERED THE CHAT"  
  
MEANDEAN21: Hey dudes and babes  
  
Adam was just about to ask why Portman was playing online with the library computer  
rather then helping Fulton, when he heard the familiar "you've got mail" message. He  
clicked the in box and found an email from an address he didn't recognize. It was from a  
MrsLawrence42 and he guessed it was from Star's mother. It was  
"Adam,  
I just found out this morning from Cole that you are seeing my daughter and the she  
has been come quite close to the members of you team. Forgive the short notice I've been  
out of touch with Star's life recently, but I would like to invite you and our friends to  
Star's surprise birthday party tomorrow night. You should be back at school in plenty of  
time for curfew. If you're coming please just respond to this letter. It starts at 6:00 all  
you'll have to do is take the number 15 bus to the last stop and get off and walk about ¼  
a mile up the road. I truly hope to see you there.  
Mallory Lawrence"  
  
P.S. Remember don't tell Star it's a surprise!  
  
PoorLilRichBoy: Guys do u wanna go to Stars birthday party tomorrow  
XGoalie33:Yeah  
MEANDEAN21: Party!  
CptDucky: I'm there  
Luvhim4eva: Us too  
  
Adam replied to the message and wondered why Star hadn't mentioned a birthday, but  
figured maybe her actual b/day was a few weeks off and her parents were having the  
party early to surprise her. He returned to the chat room just as  
"BANKSIESGURL99 HAS ENTERED THE CHAT"  
MEANDEAN21: Who invited you?  
Banksiesgurl99: Funny Portman, I'm just here to remind Adam we have a date in 5 mins  
PoorLilRichBoy: Sorry hun I'm leaving now  
  
"POORLILRICHBOY HAS LEFT CHAT"  
  
Luvher4eva: Nice name Star  
Banksiesgurl99: Bite me Germaine look at urs  
Luvher4eva: Connie made me get it  
Luvhim4eva: I did not!!!!   
Banksiesgurl99: haha ur in trouble Guy, I'm out guys lata  
  
"BANKSIESGURL99 HAS LEFT THE ROOM"  
  
The next day the ducks boarded bus number fifteen, just like it had been instructed in  
Star's mom's e-mail. Adam was still very confused that Star hadn't mentioned her  
birthday, but then again, to some people, birthday's aren't a big deal.  
  
Adam ended up sitting next to Kenny on the way there, and across from Guy and Connie,  
who were being rather annoying if you wanted to know the truth. At least Ken was quiet.  
  
"Hey, Adam, how come Star hasn't mentioned her birthday?" Guy suddenly asked, as if  
he was reading his mind.  
  
Adam only shrugged. "I dunno."  
  
After about an hour and a half of ridding the bus they finally got off at their stop.  
  
"Okay, now were supposed to walk about one fourth of mile that way." Adam said  
pointing.  
  
"Uh, Adam, are you sure? I mean, it looks pretty abandoned down there." Averman put  
in.  
  
"Yeah, but that's what the e-mail said." He reasoned.  
  
"Lets go check it out." Charlie sighed.  
  
And with that, the ducks started heading down the wooded path way.  
  
After about twenty minuets Goldberg spoke up. "Has it been a forth of a mile yet?"  
  
"I think it's been more than a forth of a mile." Julie sighed.  
  
"Guys, I think we've been set up." Guy thought out loud.  
  
"No way, you don't think?" Charlie asked.  
  
"Awww man!" Russ exclaimed as he flopped down on a log.  
  
"It's starting to get dark." Connie observed.  
  
Guy handed his girlfriend his jacket, as the team sat down and tried to figure out what to  
do.  
  
"I think we go back to the bus stop." Portman said.  
  
Everyone nodded, as they started walking back in the direction that they came from. It  
was however, getting late.  
  
"Guys, fifteen minutes till curfew." Julie called out.  
  
"Man, I can't believe this. How could they do something like this, it's just not right!   
They screwed us over big time! We could get kicked out of school for this you know.   
It's just not-"  
  
"Shut up Averman!" Everyone yelled.  
  
"Geeze, what did you eat to make you so hyper?" Charlie grumbled.  
  
"And what did you eat to put you in such a bad mood." Averman shot back.  
  
"At least I'm not annoying the crap out of everyone!"  
  
"Guys!" Ken jumped in, trying to play peace-maker. "The last thing we need is a fight  
on our hands!"  
  
"Sorry." Charlie sighed. "Your right. This is just so frustrating."  
  
Everyone agreed. Once they got back to the bus stop they found that the bus only ran  
about once every five hours, and the next one would come at around midnight.  
  
"This is just great." Julie sighed.  
  
Nobody had a cell phone with them, or any cash, so all the team could do was wait until  
the next bus came.  
  
"I think we should....sing!" Dwayne   
  
Everyone groaned. "And what would you have us sing, Dwayne?" Connie asked, trying  
to humor him.  
  
"Shucks, I don't know. But this sure is nice, all of us together like this!"  
  
The other ducks exchanged annoyed looks.  
  
"Too bad that this isn't survivor and we can't vote him off." Goldberg whispered to  
Fulton.  
  
After a while the bus finally came, sooner than expected, and the ducks boarded to go  
back to school. When they walked back onto the Eden Hall campus they were greeted by  
Dean Buckly himself.  
  
"What are you all doing out so late? Breaking curfew is a major offense! Come back to  
my office and we'll talk it over."  
  
When they got back to the dean's office they found Coach Orion, sitting there, making  
phone calls, when he saw the ducks he immediately hung up the phone. "Where have  
you been?" He demanded, of his team.  
  
Charlie got a glare in his eyes. "Varsity." Was all he said.  
  
After hearing the story the coach, and the dean shook their heads, and sent the team back  
to their dorms. "We'll speak to Cole and Riley about this tomorrow." Dean Buckly  
promised.  
  
Charlie and Guy got into bed quickly after walking through the door to their dorm room.  
  
"I can't believe they did that." Guy said quietly as they turned off the lights.  
  
"Tell me about it. Were talking major retaliation here."  
  
"What do you mean?" Guy asked, hoping that it wasn't anything to serious, especially  
after the last prank they had pulled. If Guy had gotten caught, he knew that he would  
have had to take the punishment for everyone, that had been the deal. He didn't want to  
do anything to that magnitude ever again.  
  
"Don't worry about it." Charlie grinned. "I have a plan." 


	10. Kat Fight

The ducks sat at their usual table the next morning, all looking an unhealthy mix of angry and exhausted. Goldberg's eyes were surrounded by thick black circles, Averman blinked continuously trying to keep his tired eyes focused, Connie's head was resting on Guys shoulder with her lids closed and Julie hadn't stopped yawning since she sat down.  
  
Kat, Star, Mari Anne and Nicci bounded over to the table invigorated from a good night sleep. They hadn't known of the "surprise party" and spent the night in the dorms.  
  
"Okay where were you last night?" Nicci took her seat near Luis who was tiredly stirring his Cocoa Pebbles.  
  
"We were at Star's birthday party." Guy answered groggily.  
  
"My birthday party?" Star raised her eyebrows.  
  
"Si, your birthday party." Luis nodded draping his arm over a confused Nicci.  
  
"My birthday is in May guys." Star informed them "So please enlighten us."  
  
"The varsity sent us an invitation to a surprise party for you. The email address was MrsLawrence41, so I figured it was your mom. It said to take the bus to the last stop and get off, then walk a fourth of a mile up the road. Unfortunately we were in the middle of nowhere and the bus only ran every 5 hours. We didn't get back to campus until after 1:00 A.M. To top it all off the dean met us at the door."  
  
The varsity team walked in then laughing and murmuring amongst themselves. Scooter smiled sadly as Jules as they past, as a way of showing her he hadn't know about the prank ahead of time. She knew he had nothing to do with what happened the night before so she smiled back.  
  
Portman's face contorted into a wild expression he was about to push chair back and clobber the entire team when Kat leapt out of her seat. She stormed straight over to Riley, tipping her head up so she was glaring him in the eye.  
  
"You know what Rick Riley, if I had a face like yours I'd try to make up for it with a personality. You're a jerk, you are scum and …" Out of things to say she simply stomped down hard on Riley's foot  
  
"Little bitch!!" Rick reached out and grasped her arm, causing the bash brothers to fly across the room, standing behind Kat with their arms crossed.  
  
"Come on Rick let it go." Scooter put his hand on his friends shoulder.  
  
Riley shot the two large ducks an evil eye telling Kat. "You're not worth it anyway."  
  
The girl grinned proud she had managed to get under Riley's skin so badly. Kenny was stifling a giggle when Kat waltzed back to her seat leaving Fulton and Portman still standing threateningly at the varsity table.  
  
"Dean, come sit back down." Mari Anne slipped her arms around Portman's waist from behind.  
  
"Yeah bash brothers, go play with your little ducky friends" Cole growled  
  
Portman took a step closer to Cole is fist clenched tightly and Mari Anne's arms came tighter around him  
  
"Dean, please."  
  
As the three turned to rejoin the group Cole made yet another comment  
  
"Awww Mari Anne you can stay with us."  
  
That was sit Portman spun around and grabbed Cole by the collar yanking him to his feet. It took Fulton, Russ, Goldberg, Riley, Scooter and Zack to pull them apart.  
  
"I'm gonna kill em." Portman fumed.  
  
"I'm gonna help." Fulton interjected.  
  
"Yeah! Me too!" Kat exclaimed.  
  
The bash brothers just shook their heads.  
  
"Come on guys, you know I could take them!"  
  
Back at the varsity, the only thing that still hurt Riley was his pride.  
  
"Dude!" Cole started. "I can't believe that you let a girl do that too you- a cheerleader, even!"  
  
"Shut up, Cole!"  
  
Back at the junior varsity table Portman was still having a cow.  
  
"It's alright, calm down." Mari Anne tried to calm Portman holding his still shaking hands.  
  
"I've got a better idea." Charlie remembered the plan he had thought of the nigh before. "Um girls could you leave the table for a second, I don't want you in on this."  
  
"Oh no that last time you guys did something we couldn't know about it could've got you expelled." Star shook her head  
  
"Whatever it is I don't want you involved." Nicci told Luis looking deeply in his hypnotizing eyes  
  
"Nic, I love you but ducks fly together." He answered in his sexy Latin accent  
  
"Fine just don't get caught." She threw up her hands in defeat, standing up and the rest of the girls obliged  
  
"Alright Conway what's the plan?" Russ asked sitting on the edge of his seat  
  
"Banksie do you still have any of those steroids they gave you for your wrist left?" The captain turned to Adam.  
  
"You mean the muscle enhancers?" Banks objected to the term steroids and his name in the same sentence, "Yeah I haven't used them since the Goodwill Games, why?"  
  
"Julie tell Scooter not to go to practice tonight." Was all Charlie said.   
  
He whispered the rest of the plan to the ducks on the way to class. The plan, was for them to sneek into the varsity's locker room and plant Adam's old steroids for Coach Wilson to find. Taking steroids to enhance athletic preformance was something that was frowned upon in the hockey leage the school was a part of. It was also something that the Eden hall administration would not be too happy about.  
  
They took action the next night, Charlie, and Guy were sneeking into the locker room, with Connie and Julie keeping watch.  
  
"Why do I always have to do the dangerous stuff?" Guy muttered as he and Charlie prepared to head to the rink.  
  
Charlie laughed. "Because, everybody knows that you'll do it without complaining."  
  
Guy's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. If his teammates knew all of the things that he wanted to say and didn't, they would be very surprised. "Whatever." Guy grumbled as the two started on their way to the rink. Picking the lock was as easy as one two three, just like it had been before. Once they were in, it took all of five minuets to plant the pills, and get out, without anyone ever knowing.  
  
The next day the ducks were celebrating another victory, knowing that nobody would find out about the prank until that afternoon.  
  
Russ, for one was busting with excitement. He loved the whole idea of the prank war. It was going to be so crazy to see the varsity's reaction to this prank, this one could get them kicked out of school, which kind of seemed a little extreme to him, but whatever worked... The best part was, that there was no evidence to prove that the J.V. team was the ones responsible. It was all too perfect. 


	11. Busted

J.V. practice had been canceled for the day because Coach Orion had to bring his  
daughter Leslie to physical therapy. So the ducks utilized the time to do what they  
enjoyed doing most, absolutely nothing. They sprawled out on the grass near the library and vegged, it was beautiful fall day in Minnesota.   
  
Charlie and Guy were discussing the events of the night before, Nicci and Luis were  
having a major tonsil hockey session by the tree (which the team was actually happy to see it meant he still had feelings for her and they would last longer then another week. They may hit a month) Portman was arm wrestling with Fulton while Mari Anne looked on amused but waiting to get the chance to curl up in his lap. Kat was trying to take a nap on top of Kenny; she would however lean over periodically and smack Averman and Goldberg who were 'reading' the sports illustrated swimsuit issue, Dwayne was a few feet a way trying to teach Russ to lasso a trash can, Connie was doodling I love Guy all over her notebook, while Linda was talking to Adam about something that happened in their Art class while he was in the bathroom.   
  
Star could see Scooter coming from where she sat playing patty cake with Julie, but he put his fingers to his lips signaling her to be quiet. He snuck up on Julie and she jumped three feet in the air when him hands came down on her shoulders.  
  
"Oh Scooters behind you." Star laughed as Julie landed.  
  
"You saw him coming." Julie swatted at her and Star jumped up and hid behind Adam.  
  
"Save me honey."  
  
Banks was thankful for the distraction; it gave him a reason to ignore Linda, whom he never really liked anyway. In fact the entire team disliked her, and Kat and Nicci hated her for her views on the cheerleaders, but Charlie seemed to enjoy her company so they kept her around.  
  
"Don't attack my girlfriend" Banks told the female goalie then added "it would take to long to find another one."  
  
To which Star responded with, "Jerk," and playfully turned her back on him.  
  
"All right Jules, what'd you guys do?" Scooter put his arm around his girlfriend.  
  
"What do you mean?" She tried to sound innocent.  
  
"Why wasn't I allowed to go to practice today? We just got the grade thing fixed now I gotta avoid the locker room?"  
  
The whole team fell silent waiting to see how she'd answer the question.  
  
"I can't tell you, you'll find out soon I'm sure though."  
  
"That can't be good."  
  
"They won't tell the girlfriends either Scott. It's a duck thing only." Star alleged.  
  
The group fell back into the individual conversations then snubbing the question that hung above their heads, yet no one dare asked. That was what was the varsity going to do in retaliation, if they found out who was guilty. They wouldn't have to wait long to learn they were as always the first suspects. Cole, Riley, Zack and a few other varsity players Keith Apex, Mike Sanyo and Neil Miller came charging at them with wild eyes.  
  
The male ducks all stood up when they saw the older boys coming, Luis pulling back from Nicci with a subtle shine on his lips from her balm and soft raspberry taste as he licked it away. Star saw the look on her brother's face and knew that this wasn't a social call. Instantly she began to worry.  
  
"We know you guys did it." Riley's voice was cold as the Minnesota winter.  
  
"Know we did what Riley?" Charlie was standing toe to toe with the other captain.  
  
"We know you planted the steroids in our locker room." Cole said just as coldly.  
  
"What would make you think that?" Russ asked with an attitude.  
  
"Because I know those pills belonged to Banks, he had them when he roomed with me." Keith retorted  
  
"We've got a meeting with a review board tomorrow and if we get kicked out, you guys won't live to see next week." Mike warned and they huffed off  
  
"You planted drugs in their locker room?" Star gasped looking at Adam  
  
"No… Charlie and Guy did." He wasn't the type to lie especially to a girl he cared about.  
  
"But they were yours?"  
  
"Umm yeah."  
  
"Look I know that you guys are involved in a stupid prank war so I'm not going to get mad right now. But Adam if my brother gets thrown out of school I don't know what I'll do." Star said, flat out.  
  
Adam couldn't say anything in reply. Star's words had hurt him.   
  
"Listen, Star...and everybody else-" Charlie said speaking up. "You can't tell anybody about this. It's top secret. If it gets out around the school that we really did do this, then we could get kicked out."  
  
"As far as I'm concerned, you should be." Star said, storming off.  
  
Charlie looked sympathetically to Adam. "Do you think she'll tell?"  
  
Adam shook his head, sadly. He knew Star well enough to know, that even though she was upset, and in a way, disappointed in them, she wouldn't tell the administration. However, that still didn't make him feel any better.  
  
That night, Adam couldn't sleep. He kept thinking back to the events of that afternoon. It was really bothering him. After turning the lights on a few times, Portman was getting very annoyed.  
  
"Yo, Cake Eater, I need some sleep if we're gonna get up on time tomorrow." He moaned.  
  
"Sorry, Portman." Adam apologized, as he settled back into bed, only for his sleep to be interrupted yet again, with thoughts of Star, and what the ducks had done. He wished that it had all never happened.  
  
The next morning, at breakfast, Star sat with the varsity team, and kept glancing across the room, to the ducks. Secretly, she felt bad about the things that she had said to her boyfriend the previous day. Yet, she still felt that they had taken it to far. Last night she hadn't even been able to talk to Nicci about it, for fear that they would disagree.  
  
Maybe what they said was true, "All is fair in love and war." But what about prank wars? Did that count? And who came up with that anyways? Star sighed. None of it mattered anymore. She just wanted things to get back to normal. 


	12. A Starry Night

In history that day Adam past Star a note asking it hey were still in for the movie date they had set up for that night. She wrote  
  
"I can't, my brother's future hangs in the balance, that's a little more important then going to the movies." After reading it over she decided it was harsher then she meant for it to be and added "love Star" at the end before giving it back.  
  
"You're going to the review board meeting aren't you? Let me come with you?" The paper read when it landed on her desk for a second time  
  
"You did enough, you caused this, and there's no reason for you to go. Plus it wouldn't be safe for you, you have no idea what Cole will do to you if you're there." Star folded it neatly and gave it back  
  
"Star are you mad at me?" Star are you mad at me? That might possibly have been the hardest question she'd ever have to answer.  
  
"Adam, I'm not mad at you, at least not at the moment. I'm upset that this stupid prank war had to come to this. If the truth doesn't come out my brother maybe expelled, if it does my boyfriend definitely will be. As big of a jerk as Cole is he's still my brother and I love him. You know you mean the world to me, you know that. So I wish it hadn't come to this. I'll call your room after I get back." She tossed Banks the note for the last time.  
  
Star stood in the back of the boardroom with Bryon Riley as much as she despised the boy he was in the same boat. His older brother faced removal from school for something he had nothing to do with. Bryon however felt compelled to keep touching her. She couldn't yell at him in the middle of the meeting so when Scooter (who was only there as support for his friends since he had been at practice when the drug was found) caught her eye she gave him a pleading look. He smiled and walked over to stand between her and Bryon and she was free to go back to worrying about Cole. Tom Riley was head of the board and of course was going to do anything to keep his son and his friends out of trouble. Still that didn't set Stars mind at ease, she didn't breathe until she heard Dean Buckley's words.  
  
"Varsity hockey team cleared."  
  
She waited outside the door for her brother to come out and when he did Cole shot her an icy glare.  
  
"What did you come for?"  
  
"I don't maybe because you're my brother and regardless of who I'm dating I still love you." Star shook her head at his pig headedness  
  
"So you're still dating that little punk?"  
  
"Cole please don't turn this into a fight."  
  
"Just warn your little man to watch his back Star. And you'd be smart to stay away from him. I wouldn't want you to get hurt." Cole rejoined the rest of the varsity team and left his little sister standing there.  
  
Star called Adam as soon as she got back to her room; Nicci was out with Luis again so she tapped in her boyfriend's number knowing she'd be uninterrupted.  
  
"Yo?" Portman answered  
  
"Portman it's Star is Adam around?" She asked   
  
"Yeah hold on. Banksie your girls on the phone." He handed it to Banks with a cheesy grin "I'm goin' to meet Mari Anne at the batting cages, she thinks she can hit a ball farther then me." Portman flexed his muscles and left Adam alone with the phone.  
  
"Hello?" Adam's voice was nervous and unsure, worrying if she was calling to tell him Cole was kicked out and she was leaving him.  
  
"Hi Hun. I told you I'd call you with the news, the team gets to stay." Her mind was still a whirlwind of emotion  
  
"Good then get dressed, put on something nice we're going out to celebrate."  
  
"What Adam, I really shouldn't"  
  
"Star please…"  
  
"Fine. When will you be here?"  
  
"At 6:00. I love you."  
  
"Love you too. Bye."  
  
When Banksie got to Stars door she met him with a contained smile. His grin however was so wide he face nearly split. She looked spectacular in a sleeveless black kimono style dress with gold embroidering, her spun gold hair twisted in a bun and held in place with black and gold chop sticks. He was ever bit dashing in his royal blue oxford shirt and black jacket.  
  
"You look beautiful." His hand came up to brush her cheek lightly  
  
"So do you. Handsome I mean." There had never been such discomfort between them before, but Star was determined not to let that ruin her night.   
  
The two took the bus down town to a quiet restaurant where they ate at an outside table. It was quiet, and the stars were shining in the sky like a polished new string of diamonds.  
  
"Don't you wish it could always be like this?" Star asked, whimsically, as she glanced up at the  
sky.  
  
"Like what?" Adam asked, taking her hand in his.  
  
"I don't know." Star breathed. "But look at it, Adam. It's like they put the stars out just for us!"  
  
"I know what you mean, it's just something about the night, it's so peaceful. I feel like a weights been lifted, you know? Like we don't have to worry about anything anymore, and we can just be together." Adam said.  
  
Adam's words made Star think about what Cole had told her earlier, about saying away from Adam. It didn't make sense, but Star knew that if Cole was up to something then he wouldn't stop until he got his way. Star quickly pulled out of Adam's loose grasp on her hand.  
  
"What's wrong?" Adam asked her.  
  
"Nothing." Star smiled. "Lets just be together." She replied, glancing back up at the sky. 


	13. The End Of The War

"Banks skates past the blue line, into the Pine Lake zone. He passes over to Robertson; Robertson passes it back to Banks. Banks goes backhanded...scores!!!!"  
  
Everyone on the rink was on their feet. From all the noise, you would have thought that the walls were going to explode. It was Friday, and the ducks were playing at home,  
against Pine Lake Academy. Star was in the middle of all the action, sitting with Kat,  
Mari Anne, Nicci, and Linda.  
  
At the end of the night, the ducks won the game, 2-0. The girls were waiting in the  
stands for the team to get dressed, so they could all go out and celebrate together.  
  
"Hey, you guys. Awesome game!" Nicci commented as the girls ran to meet the team just as they walked out of the locker room, tired, but happy about their victory.  
  
"Thanks Nic." Luis said, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.  
  
The group proceeded to the busy parking lot, but Adam pulled Star away. The two stood close to the curb holding hands.  
  
"What's up?" Star asked, giggling at the childish gleam in Adam's eyes.  
  
"Nothing." He breathed. "It's just that I'm surprised that I could concentrate on the  
game at all tonight. All I could think about was you. I love you, Star."  
  
"Well, I love you too, Adam." Star replied, slightly confused.  
  
"No, I mean, I know it sounds weird, but I was thinking about it today, and I can't even think about living without you now. I love you so much." Adam smiled.  
  
Star couldn't think of anything to say in reply. She felt the same way. It was like she had finally found someone that totally understood her. It was the craziest thing in the world, but she loved it.  
  
"Hey guys, hurry up!" Charlie yelled from across the parking lot.  
  
Star smiled at Adam as she took his hand, and started to run across the parking lot to join the others. Adam jokingly pulled her back, and kissed her quickly on the lips.  
  
What happened next was a blur. Star remembered seeing a car coming straight towards them, after that she just acted on total instinct and pushed Adam, as hard as she could out of the way.  
  
Adam hadn't even seen anything coming, the next thing he knew, he was lying on the ground, and there was a scene all around them. He saw all of his friends running towards him.  
  
Adam was still trying to find out what happened when he noticed Charlie's hang,  
supportively on his shoulder, at that moment everything rushed back to reality. He  
remembered that a car had been coming straight towards he and Star, had she pushed him out of the way, where was she? Adam couldn't seem to get his mouth to form words.  
  
"Banks, were going to the hospital." Charlie told him.  
  
Adam couldn't do anything but nod.  
  
The varsity had heard all the commotion and now was standing in the parking lot as well, in full uniform and all.  
  
"Julie what happened?" Scooter ran over to his girlfriend was panicky looking for a ride for the ducks to the hospital.  
  
"Scooter, Cole hit Star with his car." The words spilled out of her mouth and Adam's head jerked up. Cole hit her with a car, why would he? Then he understood Cole had been aiming for him.  
  
"We need to get to the hospital fast." Kat's southern drawl was just as shaken up as everyone else's voice.  
  
"Alright who's the closest to Star?" Scooter asked  
  
"Adam and Nicci." Kenny answered  
  
"Okay, Banks, Nicci, Luis and Julie, you ride with me. The rest of you find a car, with on of these guys." Scooter gestured to his team and neither they nor the ducks argued. It didn't matter only Star mattered.  
  
"Why in the hell would Cole do something like this!" He exclaimed as his Mercedes careened down the Minnesota streets  
  
"He was trying for me." Adam's voice was barely above a whisper.  
  
They were the first carload to arrive in the waiting room, but soon the others came rushing in. The teams stood on opposite sides of the room, even in the wake of this disaster they wouldn't integrate.  
  
"Nurse how is she?" Scooter rushed the women as she came from Star's room, with Cole in jail and Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence in the Hamptons, he was the closest thing to family she had.  
  
"Stable but critical, she's very weak, but she's been asking for Scott, Rick and Adam. I don't know who they are but could you tell them they can see her one at a time."   
  
"I'm Scott, the fogged bound kid with the light hair over there is her boyfriend Adam and the dark haired guy with the captain jersey on his Rick. I'm gonna go in to see her now." He kissed Julie's cheek and pulled out of the death grip she had on his hand.  
  
"Hey Starlight…" Scott approached the bed slowly; Star's crystal eyes were closed but fluttered at the sound of his voice  
  
"Scott?"  
  
"It's me Star."  
"No one calls me Starlight anymore."  
  
"Incase you haven't noticed no one calls me Scott anymore either."  
  
"Why'd he do it Scooter? He was going straight at Adam."  
  
"I don't know Star, I wish I did."  
  
"Watch Adam okay. I don't know how he's gonna take this."  
  
"I will, I'm going to go now alright. Riley and Banksie still have to come on." It was a lie he was going so she wouldn't see the tears that were about to start flowing form his eyes at any second.  
  
"Okay."  
  
"You go in next Riley, you've known her longer." Everyone was impressed by Banks's selflessness, what they didn't know was he was wary of seeing her, knowing it was his fault.  
  
"Hey Kiddo, how are you feeling?" Riley walked over and sat on the chair near her bed.  
  
"Like I was hit by a car." Rick couldn't tell if she was joking or serious so he said nothing. "Rick, I'm not making out of this room alive."  
  
"What are you talking about? Of course you are Star."  
  
"No listen to me, don't fight with me on this. I have two favors to ask you. Tell Bryon I'm sorry I've been so mean to him and stop this. Stop this feud with the ducks."  
  
Riley nodded solemnly.  
  
"Thank you, can I see Adam now?"  
  
"Yeah I'll go get him."  
  
"Banksie, your turn."  
  
Banks nodded but didn't move, frozen to the floor  
  
"Go now Cake-eater." Portman Fulton gave him a little shove from behind that nearly knocked him over.  
  
"Baby, are you awake?" Adam called from the doorway secretly hoping she fell asleep in the ten seconds his Riley left the room. He didn't know if he could see her like that, broke and in pain.  
  
"I'm awake Adam, come here." So such luck  
  
"Star why did you do that, huh? That car was meant for me. It should've hit me." Banks was the first of the three to let her see his tears  
  
"Remember what you told me earlier, about not being able to live without me? I couldn't live without you either. But you, have the ducks, I would have no one to help me deal with losing you."  
  
"Well I'm not losing you, I'm not losing you because you're not gonna die on me. We have too much left to do together. I'm not letting you leave me." His tone was frantic  
  
"Adam, I'll always be with you, no matter what." She placed a bruised and scraped hand on his "You're the first person, I ever said those words too and you'll be the only one. But that's fine with me. My life wouldn't have been complete if you hadn't bee in it." Star's eyelids began to close "I love you Adam Jonathon Banks."  
  
"I love you too, Star Katherine Lawrence." Adam leaned in and pushed his lips to hers one last time. An hour later Star was gone.  
  
  
The funeral was hard on all the ducks they had buried Hans at the same graveyard only 2 months before and some how the fact that Star was their age made it harder. The girls couldn't stop crying for anything. Julie and Kat were hugging each other and Connie's face was buried in Guy's shoulder. When Portman saw the tears trickling down Mari Anne's face he kissed her gently on the cheek, it was their first kiss and she'd wished it was for another reason, Luis hadn't let Nicci out of his arms for days, oh yes they would beat a month for sure. The two teams were mixed together as they stood by the casket; neither caring if the person to their left of right was warrior or duck. Star had meant something to all of them. Scooter gave the eulogy, Cole was still in jail, and the Lawrences were stuck in the Caribbean and Adam had barely said two words to anyone in the five days since her death. He stood at the foot of the coffin with the same stony expression, he'd been wearing since he left her hospital room. It was so hard to fathom that, that pine box held his first love.   
  
When the service was over everyone was heading to their cars. The diner Charlie's mother worked at was providing free food to the mourners that day. Just before Banks got into Scooter's car, Riley tapped him on the shoulder. When he turned Rick extended his hand. And as they stood there and shook hands, there was an unspoken agreement between each team. They were no longer, varsity and j.v. they were the Eden Hall mighty ducks. 


End file.
